In deal, triple murderer gets three life sentences

GONZALES- A man tied to a home invasion where three people were murdered in February 2012 pleaded guilty and will serve three life terms, District Attorney Ricky Babin told WBRZ News 2 Tuesday.

Bernard James pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder in the deaths of Robert Irwin Marchand, his wife Shirley and her son Douglas Dooley. The group was attacked inside the Marchand's home where Dooley was visiting. Dooley and Robert Marchand died in the home, Shirley Marchand died from her injuries a few weeks later.

James and four others- Michael Aikens, Devon James, Rolondo Stewart and Travis Moore - were implicated in the crime. Investigators said the group slit the throats of the victims in a robbery where a safe containing rare gold coins was stolen from the home.

Aikens pleaded guilty in October 2013. He worked for the family.

The safe was found but the coins are still missing.************Follow the publisher of this post on Twitter: @treyschmaltz